Current Affairs - State

Telangana officially operationalised Dial 112 as a unified emergency helpline on August 5, 2026, replacing the legacy Dial 100 police helpline. The system integrates police, fire, ambulance, disaster response, and women and child safety services under a single emergency number. It is operated from the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Hyderabad. The system reduces emergency call processing time by 30%, from 190 seconds to 133 seconds, and provides location-based tracking with 95% accuracy. Dial 112 is part of India’s Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), designed to provide a single emergency number across all States and Union Territories.

Gujarat imposed a statewide ban on the manufacture, storage, transportation, and sale of unauthorised analogue dairy products such as paneer, cheese, and butter on August 7, 2026. The decision was taken due to public health concerns after laboratory tests by the state’s Food and Drug Regulatory Authority identified substitutes made using vegetable oils instead of milk. Such products can mislead consumers and affect genuine dairy producers. The ban applies to food business operators, including hotels, restaurants, and caterers. Violations will be prosecuted under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which provides the legal framework for food safety regulation and established the FSSAI.

Bihar Cabinet approved a proposal on August 5, 2026, to operate 16 medical and dental colleges under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The decision was chaired by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and aims to strengthen the state’s medical education and healthcare infrastructure. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was approved as the transaction adviser for the institutions with a sanction of ₹8.27 crore. The colleges include functional institutions at Pawapuri, Madhepura, Purnia, and Rahui, while several others are under construction. The Cabinet also approved funds for a Sports Science Centre, tourism initiatives, water-supply infrastructure, manuscript digitisation, and additional administrative posts across the state.

Assam launched applications for the Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu student welfare schemes on August 6, 2026, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma formally initiating the application process in Guwahati. Nijut Moina primarily provides financial assistance to girl students to encourage higher education and help prevent child marriage. Its eligibility was expanded in 2026 to include students pursuing polytechnic courses and seventh-semester integrated postgraduate programmes. Nijut Babu provides financial assistance to boys pursuing higher secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate studies. The schemes aim to reduce the financial burden on families and encourage students to continue their education while maintaining regularity, discipline, and commitment to their studies.

Odisha is hosting the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting and the 3rd BRICS Senior Officials’ Meeting in Bhubaneswar from August 5 to 7, 2026. The meetings are being conducted under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026 and are led by the Ministry of Education. The agenda includes strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education, expanding vocational training through the BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance, advancing the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications framework, and promoting research, innovation, and start-ups. A new Model BRICS Initiative has also been launched to familiarise students with multilateral diplomacy. Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is known as the ‘Temple City of India’.